Essentials for secure hanging of curtain rails or rods

When hanging a curtain rail or rod, or putting up blinds, you want it to be an easy project with no possibility of fittings coming loose later on. We offer some tips for successful mounting where fittings are safely and firmly secured.

 

 

 

 

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Mounting a curtain rail or rod, or fitting for blinds, can be tricky enough, but making sure that the fittings are securely in place is difficult if you are drilling into soft brick, or hard work if drilling into a concrete lintel above window frames. The right tools and fastening accessories can make all the difference.

 

 

 

 

Combi Drill / Driver

Using a lightweight yet powerful drill / driver is handy for the female DIY enthusiast, and even something the DIY Guy should consider. The Bosch PSB 10,8 volt lithium-ion Combi Driver might look small, but this compact tool packs enough power to drill into a concrete lintel with ease when used in conjunction with a quality drill bit. As a woman, believe me when I tell you that this amazing drill / driver has all the functions you need for projects in and around the home.

 

 

The lightweight design makes it easy for us ladies to hold in one hand, while drilling quickly into concrete for mounting curtain rods and rails. The PSB 10,8 not only has a screwdriver and drill function, it can be turned into a hammer drill with the turn of a dial. Plus, with its 2-gear operation you can turn up the power in an instant.

 

 

If you are looking for a quality drill / driver to add to your tool collection this one is definitely one to consider. And when you consider the price at around R900 - this versatile and handy tool is cheaper than many other models that don't even offer 'hammer' function. 

 

 

 

 

Quality masonry bits

When you visit your local Builders Warehouse or hardware store you will be overwhelmed by the amount of brands offering masonry bits. When buying any type of drill bits consider this; South Africa exports steel to China and other countries, where it is smelted and mixed with other metals. This is then moulded into screwdriver and drill bits imported into South Africa and sold cheaply in hardware stores.

 

 

German, Austrian and Swiss steel products are not smelted and mixed with softer metals, and this results in a far superior product. So, while you may pay more for quality steel, at the end of the day you pay less because these bits last far longer.

 

 

For our projects, and at our www.DIY-Divas.co.za  workshops we demo the Alpen range of drill bits. Manufactured in Austria, these bits are available in a varied range and offer the home DIY enthusiast ease of use when it comes to drilling into hard materials. Spend a bit more on a quality bit and rest assured that a single bit will drill all the holes necessary for mounting, as opposed to possibly having to use more than one cheaper quality bit for the same job.

 

 

 

 

Nylon wall plugs

We have shown our DIY Divas time and again what happens when plastic wall plugs warm up - they go soft. When mounting into soft walls with plastic wall plugs you will often find that as soon as you screw in the fitting it spins and spins and never seems to grab onto anything. As soon as you introduce friction (turning the screw) and the plastic softens up, it doesn't pop open properly and fails to hold inside the drilled hole. This means that your fixtures will be loose and fall out sooner or later.

 

 

 

 

Fischer wall plus are manufactured using nylon, and nylon has a far higher heat tolerance than plastic, which is why we always recommend nylon wall plugs for mounting into masonry, and particularly softer cement or stock bricks.